by D. B. Henson
After a brief introduction, images of ongoing projects flashed across the screen. Details such as estimated cost, sales price, and date of completion accompanied each. Clint watched the men in the glow from the monitor. Their faces remained solemn.
Pompous sons of bitches. It was his business that paid their salaries and their mortgages, and sent their kids to college. Not so long ago, they had competed viciously for the opportunity to work with Chadwick & Shore. And they would again. They would beg for the chance. Clint would make sure of it.
Started right after college, with very little money, Chadwick & Shore had grown into a multi-million dollar company, surpassing everyone’s expectations. Especially those of his father.
Clint’s parents owned a plumbing business. While it had always somehow managed to pay the bills, Shore Plumbing had never amounted to much. In Clint’s opinion, his father lacked the drive necessary to create a successful company. He was satisfied just getting along, as he called it. And Clint’s two older brothers seemed content to follow the tradition.
But since early childhood, Clint knew his life would consist of greater things. He wasn’t about to spend his time snaking out toilets or pumping septic tanks. He wanted nothing to do with the family business. Instead, while in high school, he got a job at an electronics store in the mall. He worked nights and weekends, earning commissions on each stereo and television he sold. He became quite the salesman. And instead of blowing his money on pizza and beer like his friends, he followed the advice of one of his father’s clients and had it invested in mutual funds.
He kept his grades up, graduating as valedictorian, and landed a scholarship to Vanderbilt. It was there he met Scott. He knew he had found the right person to help him build his own fortune. And they had done just that. Now, with Clint solo at the helm, free to explore his own ideas, the company would soar even higher.
Developments in the pipeline, under contract but not yet begun, filled the screen next. Clint noticed Tyler Armstrong discretely entering something into his PDA. The ice was thawing. They would all be vying for the financing on the new projects before they even left the building.
Graphs and a detailed report showing the earnings and profit projections for the next two years marked the end of the presentation. Clint turned up the lights and switched off the monitor. He passed out bound material detailing the information from the presentation. As he handed each man a folder, he noticed a change in their countenance. Even Randall Clarke looked impressed.
“As you can see,” Clint said. “Chadwick & Shore has a very bright future ahead. Together, we will continue to profit from our endeavors.”
Tyler Armstrong stood up. “We all know that Scott Chadwick was the driving force of this company. Without him, what assurance do we have that the projects will be completed on time?”
Clint had all but won their loyalty. He couldn’t let a seed of doubt slip in now.
“Scott Chadwick was the front man, that’s true,” Clint said. “However, the real force, the gear that makes the clock tick, is on the inside, behind the scenes. Let me make myself clear, gentlemen. I am, and always have been, the heart and soul of this company.”
Jill stirred her soup. “Scott didn’t want you to know,” she said. “He didn’t want you to worry.”
“Worry about what? Tell me what was going on,” Toni said.
Jill put down her spoon. “Scott was about to lose everything. We all were.”
“What?”
“When we originally met with AlquilaCorp, the company under contract to purchase the hotel, they had specific architectural elements in mind. Scott was able to incorporate their ideas into his design. They signed the contract based on the initial plans and specs. But somewhere along the way, Scott decided to make changes. Although the changes were structurally necessary, he didn’t consult with AlquilaCorp first. When they found out, they were furious. They decided to back out of the contract.”
So that’s what was on Scott’s mind the night before he died. “That is bad news, but it’s only one deal. I don’t see how that could cause Scott to lose everything.”
“When we signed the contract, we took out a sizable construction loan. The bank agreed to the loan on the basis that we had already sold the hotel. If they found out the buyer had cancelled the contract, they would call in the note. If that happened, it would cripple the company. We would have to sell off our assets, maybe even declare bankruptcy.”
“As long as you were making the interest payments, I don’t see why you couldn’t just wait it out and find another buyer.”
“It’s not that simple. You’re used to dealing with the residential market. There’s always another buyer ready to purchase a new home if the contract falls through. Everyone needs a place to live. Finding a buyer for a luxury hotel is a whole other ballgame. The bank knows that. They would foreclose, and when the word got out, the other banks we deal with would call in their loans as well. They would all scramble to get out with as much of their money as possible, as fast as possible.”
“So you’re telling me that Clint wants to buy half of a company that’s on the verge of bankruptcy?”
“No. The afternoon Scott died, we reached a compromise with AlquilaCorp. The deal is back on. I only wish Scott could have waited just a few more hours.”
The waiter returned with their entrees and a fresh basket of bread. Toni hadn’t eaten one bite of her salad.
“Is something wrong with your food?” the waiter asked.
“No,” Toni said. “It’s fine.”
“Then I’ll leave it with you,” he said. He removed Jill’s soup bowl from the table. “Enjoy.” He headed back toward the kitchen.
Toni stared at her chicken. The financial predicament Jill had described might be enough to send some people over the edge, but not Scott. She had never known him to run away from his problems. He always faced them head on. “How many years did you know Scott?”
“We met before Clint and I were married. Around five years, I guess. Why?”
“Do you really think he could have killed himself?”
“When we applied for the construction loan on the hotel, we were required to sign personal guarantees. If the bank had foreclosed, they could have taken all of Scott’s personal assets, including your house.”
“You didn’t answer my question.”
Jill dropped her gaze, studied her plate for a moment, and then looked directly into Toni’s eyes. “Yes. I think he did.”
They finished their meal in silence.
Toni moved her food around her plate, barely eating anything. Her conversation with Jill had destroyed her appetite. After the waiter had cleared their dishes, Jill reached across the table and touched Toni’s arm.
“I know this is hard for you. But I’ll help you get through it, if you’ll let me,” Jill said.
Toni nodded.
The waiter brought their check, and Jill insisted on paying.
They walked back to Chadwick & Shore. The sidewalk bustled with hungry souls, all hurrying to get in and out of one of the nearby restaurants before their lunch hour was over. The traffic crawled bumper to bumper beside them.
The temperature had climbed into the seventies, the sky clear. The sun warmed the top of Toni’s head and she wished she had worn a lighter weight suit. As they neared their building, Toni remembered a question she wanted to ask.
“Who is Gloria Keith?”
Jill slowed her pace. “Gloria Keith?” She shook her head. “I don’t know. The name doesn’t sound familiar. Why?”
“She gave a statement to the police. It’s in Scott’s file at the station.”
“What did the detective say about her?”
“Nothing. I didn’t ask. I wasn’t supposed to see it.”
“Maybe she was one of Scott’s secretaries, or a temp or something. Our clerical staff changes so often, I can’t keep up.”
“Maybe.”
They reached the office building and Toni pulled o
pen the door letting Jill enter first.
“Do you want to come up and see if Clint is out of his meeting?” Jill asked.
And hear the same story repeated? What good would that do? “No. Just tell him I’ll talk to him later.” Toni started to walk toward the garage elevator.
“Toni,” Jill stopped her. “I hope I haven’t ruined our friendship. I just wanted to be honest with you.”
“I know. Don’t worry, everything’s okay. I just need time to absorb all this.”
Jill’s lips formed a smile her eyes did not reflect. “I’ll call you later. Maybe you can come over for dinner one night this week.”
“Sounds good.” Toni continued toward the elevator.
She had no desire to spend an evening with Clint and Jill. It was funny how quickly things changed. Just one short week ago, she, Scott, Clint and Jill had been the best of friends. Now it felt as if those days never existed.
She rode the elevator to the garage and walked to her car. She noticed Clint’s Mercedes was gone. His meeting must be over. She slid into the driver’s seat and buckled her safety belt. Her cell phone rang. A glance at the caller ID display revealed it was Mark.
“Hi Mark,” Toni said.
“Hey, where are you? I hope you’re not working today.”
“No. I’m just running some errands.”
“I thought you might want to meet for lunch.”
“Actually, I just ate. I had lunch with Jill.”
“Really? That’s good. I’m glad you two have made up.”
“Uh huh.”
“Well, how about dinner later?”
She knew Mark had better things to do than baby-sit her. She had already consumed a great deal of his free time since Scott died. She couldn’t keep imposing on him. She had to let him get back to living his own life.
“I’ve already made plans for tonight,” she lied. “How about a rain check?”
“Oh. Okay. I’ll call you later then.”
Toni hung up the phone and drove out of the parking garage and onto Commerce Street. She dug into her purse and pulled out the sticky note from the police station. She read the names.
Alvin Harney.
She remembered Scott mentioning him, saying that he was the best lead superintendent in the business. The other name she didn’t recognize.
She turned left on Forth Avenue and then merged onto interstate forty. She opened her sunroof and turned on the radio. Voices from the talk station filled the car. A local financial advisor offered words of encouragement to a caller overwhelmed by credit card debt. Too depressing. Toni switched to the classic rock station.
American woman stay away from me…
She cranked up the volume. Forcing all thoughts from her mind, she traveled down the highway toward the hotel, singing along with The Guess Who.
Two cars back, the green sedan followed.
CHAPTER 10
Toni paused inside the open gate to the construction site.
The last time she had been here, the hotel was deserted. Now the building swarmed with workers. Men streamed in and out of the building, carrying various tools and materials. To her right, a man on a forklift unloaded a drywall truck. Amid the hum of equipment, she could hear the steady beep—beep—beep as he backed up the vehicle.
Straight ahead, she watched as the mammoth tower crane hoisted windows to one of the upper floors. She raised her hand to her brow and shielded her eyes from the sun, following the ascent of the glass. A crew waited high above ready to receive the load.
She turned her attention back to ground level and scanned the sea of yellow hard hats searching for one in white, worn by those in management. She spotted a man she assumed was the lead superintendent off to the left, talking on a cell phone. She headed in his direction.
The air was heavy with dust from the naked soil. It swirled around her feet as she walked leaving a light film on her emerald green pumps. As she approached, the man flipped off his cell phone and returned it to the clip on his belt.
“Are you Alvin Harney?” she asked.
“That’s me.” He took a rag from his pocket and dabbed at the sweat on the back of his neck. “What can I do for you?”
“My name is Toni Matthews. I was engaged to Scott Chadwick. I was hoping I could have a few minutes of your time.”
“I recognize you from the funeral. I’m really sorry about Mr. Chadwick. He was a good man.”
“Thank you.”
“You really shouldn’t be out here without a hardhat. Let’s go into my office. We can talk there.”
Alvin ushered her to the construction trailer. He unlocked the door and motioned for her to enter first. Once inside, she sat down at the same table she had occupied the day Scott died. She noticed the drawings of the hotel on the walls and the desk and filing cabinets on the left. Funny, she hadn’t been aware of them on her last visit. On that day, most everything around her had been a blur.
Alvin pulled out the chair across from her. As he sat down, he removed his hardhat and placed it on the edge of the table. Sweat had plastered his short salt and pepper hair flat to the sides of his head.
“Now, what did you want to talk to me about?” he asked.
“I was hoping you could tell me what happened the morning Scott died.”
“I can tell you what I know, but it’s not much.”
“Please. Anything at all would be helpful.”
“I got here around five fifteen or so. Scott arrived shortly after that. He drove his car through the gate and around to the back side of the hotel. I had some things to check on, so I came in here to my desk. About fifteen or twenty minutes later, I went into the building looking for him.” Alvin paused and his eyes watered slightly. “I was the one who found him.”
Toni felt the wound inside her opening again and she fought back the rising tears. She couldn’t let herself fall apart. “So you never actually spoke to Scott that morning?”
“No. I didn’t.”
“Are you sure he was alone?”
“Yes. I couldn’t have been more than five feet from his car when he passed through the gate. No one else was with him.”
“Is there any way someone could have been inside the hotel waiting for him?”
“I don’t know how. When I arrived, the gate was locked. If somebody got in, they would have had to climb over the razor wire.”
“You didn’t see anyone else around the site?”
“The only other person here was Nico Williams. He never went into the building. He was standing right outside my office the whole time.”
“How do you know?”
“I could see him. I left the door open. He was talking on his cell phone.”
Toni sighed in frustration. She was getting nowhere. “Could I speak with Mr. Williams? Maybe he saw something.”
“It would be fine with me, if I knew where he was.”
“What do you mean?”
“I haven’t seen him since the day Scott died.”
“He quit?”
Alvin shrugged. “It’s fairly common in the construction business. Most of the workers here are family men with roots in the community. But there’s also a lot that tend to move from place to place. It’s not unusual for a man to come in and work a few days, collect a paycheck, and then you never see him again.”
“How long did Mr. Williams work here?”
“He had just started. Last Monday was his first day.”
“You don’t have any idea where I could reach him?”
“No. Your best bet is to try the personnel department. They should have an address on file.”
“Right.” Toni chewed her lip. There had to be something she was missing. “Is there any way at all that someone could have slipped into the hotel while you were at your desk?”
“I guess anything is possible. But if they did, Nico Williams would have seen them come through the gate.”
“Did you talk to him about what happened?”
“No.
I called 911 from my cell phone and then I waited there with the—Mr. Chadwick until the police arrived. They were here within minutes. I don’t remember speaking to Nico after that, but I know the police took a statement from him.”
“Were you the one who called Clint?”
“I called him on his mobile phone, but I couldn’t get an answer. I didn’t know his home number. It’s not listed. Someone from the police department finally reached him.”
“What about Brian?”
“Who?”
“Scott’s brother, Brian Chadwick.”
“To tell you the truth, until the funeral, I didn’t know he had a brother. I knew you and Scott were getting married, so I wanted to call you. But seeing him lying there, trying to comprehend how this had happened, my brain just went into a stall. I couldn’t remember your name. When the police asked me who they should contact, the only person I could think of was Clint Shore.”
Toni sighed again and then stood up from the table. “I appreciate your taking the time to answer my questions. I know you must think it’s odd.”
“Not at all. I’d be doing the same thing if I were you. I never would have believed it if I hadn’t been here myself.”
Toni nodded. “I’ll let you get back to work now.”
His hat in his hand, Alvin started to open the trailer door, then paused. “Miss Matthews, I understand what you’re going through. I lost my own wife a few years back. She was in a car accident. I’m still not completely over it, I probably won’t ever be. I try to concentrate on the good times we had together. They were the happiest times of my life. And even though it hurts now, I wouldn’t trade one minute with her for all the money in the world. Knowing her was the greatest gift I ever received. I remind myself of that every time I start to miss her. Instead of dwelling on what I’ve lost, I think about how lucky I am to have had her in my life.”
“Scott always spoke very highly of you, and not just professionally. Now I can see why.”
The water was returning to Alvin’s eyes. “Thank you. I thought the world of him. Still do.”
